The Grinch Who Won the Princess
by mcangel1976
Summary: Annual Christmas/Holiday Story! Chika is irritated and feeling more like the Grinch or Scrooge than happy with holiday spirit, and it doesn't help that he was forced to play the Grinch for a play the Host Club decided to perform at their annual Christmas Ball. Awakening feelings for Haruhi has him irritated that she may not be available. Will the Grinch win the princess in the end?
1. Being A Grinch

_**Disclaimer – As much as I love the characters and putting them in situation that may or may not be bad for their health, I do not own Ouran High School Host Club or its characters.**_

 **A/N: Here it is! The beginning of my Christmas story. After two polls, Chika won by a landslide over Kyoya. Don't worry Kyoya/Haruhi fans, he will get either a New Year's or a Valentine's story…although, I'm leaning towards Chinese New Year and Valentine's together since they are not that far apart in 2016. I was discussing the story with a couple of people and I had originally planned something else, but when I was talking about the Grinch with CyraHafise, this story popped in my head and I knew this was going to be the one I worked on. So there are some aspects of Dr. Seuss's How the Grinch Stole Christmas. The other story idea will be put in my journal to be used next year. Enjoy and MERRY CHRISTMAS, HAPPY HOLIDAYS!**

Chapter 1 – Being A Grinch

This sucked! Life sucked! His brother sucked! And he wouldn't be here right now if it hadn't been for his pigheaded overbearing cousin, Satoshi; ergo, he sucked too! Chika wanted to rip the shinai that was normally found in his hand away from him and beat him into a bloody pulp…okay, maybe not that drastic, but pretty close to it. Suffering through this night was making him inch ever closer to completely bonkers, and if he got to that point, his cousin may die.

Chika's sole goal in life was to become better than his elder brother, Hunny. Every day, he worked hard to improve his skills in martial arts, pushed himself to excel in academics, and did what he could to surpass his brother…and each and every day he failed. It was enough to make someone bitter; and bitter he was. His brother could make friends more easily, always seemed happy and full of smiles, did what he wanted, and was still stronger than Chika by a landslide. No matter what he did, Chika could not beat him. It wasn't fair!

Was it any wonder his motto was more "Bah Humbug" than "Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays" this Christmas? He didn't think so. He also didn't understand how he and Satoshi had been roped into helping the Host Club with their Christmas ball. If they wanted the girls to be fawning all over them, then they didn't have to rope in people not even associated with the club to begin with! He had to remind himself on more than one occasion that this was only temporary and after this year, he wouldn't have to worry about the blond bug because Tamaki would be graduating in the spring.

But it wasn't only the ball Chika had an issue with, it was the small skit that Tamaki just decided the club had to do! After seeing the cartoon and then the movie of How the Grinch Stole Christmas, the blond had the brilliant idea to perform for the princesses…and no one wanted to dress in a green suit. Somehow names were discussed and eventually, Mori approached his brother and Chika to help with the play and somehow Chika was forced into a green suit. Why not Satoshi? Chika still wasn't sure. He only knew that his cousin had helped the twins to assault and wrestle him into the costume for the initial fitting…and each subsequent fitting.

Would it be wrong to murder his supposed best friend/cousin in his sleep? What about the other hosts? Because as he stood there in the ball room, knowing the time to put on the green suit was encroaching quickly and a cloud of doom hung heavily over him, he wanted to do nothing more than to make sure each one of them suffered. Maybe, a little mind you, maybe he could understand why the Grinch acted the way he did. He was surrounded by people who annoyed the hell out of him, forced things upon him, talked about him behind his back, etc. It was enough to drive a sane person insane.

The only shining light in this whole thing: Haruhi was playing Cindy Lou Who. He actually couldn't say why it was a good thing or why he cared, but it mattered...a little. It was just, since the time he had met her, she was probably the only person who never compared the two Haninozuka brothers against each other – not that Chika didn't do enough of that on his own. To her, they were their own person. Although, he had to admit that she was kind of dense if she didn't understand his animosity towards Hunny. Of course, he also had thought she was a boy until the start of her second year when she showed up to school wearing the girls' uniform. How had he missed that one? He didn't know and he didn't care…much.

The thing was, she was a person who stuck with you long after you met her. Maybe it was her eyes or her presence, but once you met her, you never forgot her. She would unknowingly ingrain herself on you and you were powerless to fight it. Even before he discovered her true gender, he had thought about her more than once, but most of the time it was nothing more than a passing fancy; and after the revelation, he had thought about her more than just in passing.

The problem was, she was taken – or at least he believed she was. Chika could never get a straight answer out of anyone, and that made him even crankier. Tamaki had claimed her for himself, but she acted as if she hated his hugs and always seemed to talk to him like he was more of a child than a man who had captured her heart. When he asked his brother, Hunny had said, "Haru-Chan? All of the hosts love her, but Tama-Chan seems to love her the most." That didn't exactly answer Chika's question. When he asked Mori, his older cousin told him, "Haruhi doesn't understand the feelings of the others, but she isn't completely oblivious." Chika's deadpanned response, "Thanks for sounding like a fortune cookie." When he asked the twins, they started to tease him and then told him to give up because she had something with Tamaki, but they couldn't say exactly what it was. And when he asked Kyoya, the Shadow King leered and asked, "And why do you want to know?" It gave Chika the chills and he understood why his nick name was the Shadow King. In other words, he never got a straight answer. Was she dating Tamaki or not? Tamaki would have probably said yes if Chika actually flat out asked him, and asking her…that was just too embarrassing and he wasn't sure what to do or how to handle the situation. Did he want to date her? He actually wasn't sure, but the thought of Tamaki and her as a couple – he broke a punching bag at the dojo's gym at school.

It seemed as if the closer they had gotten to the party, the worst his attitude became and the number of swings from Satoshi's shinai increased. Why did he have to help out his brother's former club? Why did he have to be the Grinch? And why did Haruhi have to be with Tamaki, even if it was just a rumor?

"What's your problem?" Satoshi hissed at his cousin's side. Kyoya had confiscated his shinai and told him that acts of violence in front of the guests was ungentlemanly, but he wanted nothing more than to feel the weight of it in his hands just in case Chika misbehaved.

Glaring at his best friend, Chika retorted, "You mean besides the fact that I was forced to come to this party, forced to wear a green suit, and forced to be nice to people I don't even like?"

"Yasuchika…" the name was a warning on Satoshi's lips.

"Yasuchika, will you dance with me?" Haruhi interrupted the two. She had just finished dancing with a male guest and saw Chika's temper about to flare. Pulling him out on the dance floor seemed safer than leaving the two cousins to duke it out. When they were safely twirling around, she asked, "Is everything all right?"

"Yeah," his answer was short and clipped.

"I see…" Her eyes noticed every little nuance of his face, the minute changes in his expression, and she could tell that he was a little more relaxed since they had started to waltz. It may not have been much to others, but it meant a lot to her. The last thing she wanted was this night to be ruined for anyone by anyone. The hosts had worked long and hard, as they usually did, to make this night perfect for their guests, and she could see that Chika had been near the end of his tether. "You know, there are many girls here who are talking about you and have been waiting to dance with you."

"Does that include you?" He asked without thinking.

Smiling, she told him, "I can't say, but I will say that you are a lot easier to dance with than your brother." She could still remember how dizzy she felt every time Hunny literally spun her around the dance floor; and while she may not admit to anything directly, it felt good to be in his arms dancing casually instead of feeling like she had to watch what she said and how she behaved. "Thanks though."

"For what?"

"For helping us with tonight and for doing the skit. I know you didn't want to have anything to do with the Host Club and even if the others don't say it, you saved us. Tamaki-senpai accidently wound up inviting everyone in the student body and we needed extra people, and then there was the skit. No one wanted to do it, and even though it was by force, you stepped up. So, thank you."

"Why did Tamaki-senpai send out the invitation?"

She snickered, "He thought he would help Kyoya-senpai and it backfired."

The sound of her laughing made his heart clench, "I see. The degree of his idiocy knows no bounds."

"That's kind of harsh."

"I believe you mean truthful."

"What is your problem?"

"Nothing. This is just how I am. I don't even know why I'm here. I would rather be fighting my brother than pretending to be some nice gentleman. In fact, I would rather be anywhere than here with these people."

"Does that include everyone?" Silently, she wondered and asked if it included her.

"Possibly."

"Don't you think you're getting into character a little too early?"

"No, this is just how I am."

"Scrooge."

"Don't you mean Grinch?"

Her steps faltered a bit when she "accidentally" stomped on his foot, "Excuse me. I think I need to go and get ready for the play." She left him staring after her when she left him on the dance floor alone. If he wanted to act like that, he could, but that didn't mean she had to stand there and listen. And it's not like she really cared about what he said anyway…at least that's what she told herself. Didn't care at all.

Chika watched her walk away, and if he needed confirmation on what Tamaki's role in her life was, he had it. His hand went to his chest and scratched. He still didn't want to admit why it was aching.

"Mommy, what happened between our daughter and Yasuchika?" Tamaki asked as his eyes followed Haruhi making her way through the crowd.

Kyoya adjusted his glasses and smirked, "I believe a disagreement about the future."

"Future of what?"

"Their lives and the play."

"Why would that matter? Why are they talking about their future?" Was he missing something?

"Because the Grinch still needs to learn his lesson."

"Lesson?" Tamaki paused to think and then brightened, "Oh the play! Everyone needs to get ready!"

And just like that, the hosts took their temporary leave from the ball in order to prepare for the play…or was it their funeral?


	2. Green is the Color of Jealousy

**A/N: This story is going to be 3 chapters long…I think. I've been known to be wrong before, but until it's done, this is the only story I'm working on because I really want to finish it before Christmas. I will also be coming up with a couple of Christmas rumors for my Rumor story. So be on the lookout for those as well. Enjoy!**

Chapter 2 – Green is the Color of Jealousy

As Hikaru and Kaoru shoved him into his hairy green costume, Chika wondered if he had crossed an invisible line somewhere with Haruhi, and thinking back onto his conversation, he decided she had just been too sensitive. He was only being blunt and honest. Maybe it was too much for her to take, or maybe she didn't want to see the truth before her. Did that give credence to the theory that she really was with Tamaki? Possibly.

And if that is how things were going to be, if she wanted to be with an overly happy guy with too much sunshine shoved up his ass, then so be it. Chika didn't need her. He didn't need any of them!

"Woah, Yasuchika!" Kaoru jumped back slightly from doing the younger man's makeup upon seeing an expression of pure anger and hate appear. Where the hell had that come from?

"Yasuchika, we know you're playing the Grinch, but save the acting for the stage," Hikaru teased in an attempt to lighten the atmosphere in the dressing room. While it was true that they had practically – actually, no, they had completely forced him into do the role of the Grinch – twisted his arm to do their bidding, neither twin had seen this particular expression darken his features. Never before did they feel they were in the presence of something truly malevolent. Glancing at his brother out of the corner of his eye, Hikaru knew Kaoru wondered the same thing: were they going to die today?

His glare fell upon the twin second years before him and he snapped, "Just finish your job so we can get this farce over with!" Maybe embracing his part, embracing the Grinch, is exactly what he needed to do.

Hikaru had always been a bit of a hothead and didn't appreciate the tone the younger man took, "Now wait just a second! I know that you may not want to do this, but it's too late to back out! You're not even a member of this club, so don't take that attitude with us. We're only helping you!"

The glare intensified, "Who said I was backing out? And secondly, I don't want to be part of your damn club! The only reason I'm here is because I was forced into being here and none of you would let me leave! Do you really think I want to be here? Do you think I'm here of my own free will? All of you are fucking idiots and the last thing I want to catch is your baka disease! As for helping me…you were the once that helped wrestle me into this costume when you knew I didn't want to have anything to do with you, your club, or my brother!" He was fuming now…not that he wasn't a moment ago.

The twins huddled together afraid. They could practically see smoke coming out of Chika's ears and off of his body. It was probably a good thing that the costume was flame retardant.

"N-N-Now Yasuchika, we know that you didn't want to help, but that doesn't change the fact that you're here," Kaoru attempted to reason with him.

"Yas-u-chi-ka!" Satoshi growled, annunciating each syllable when he entered the "Grinch's" domain. He swung, but quickly realized his hands were empty.

"What's going on in here?" Tamaki stepped into the room behind Satoshi.

The one man Chika didn't want to see at the moment had just arrived, and if he could have gotten away with it, he might have murdered him in that second. Briefly, a few seconds maybe, he wondered how easy it would be to kill everyone in the room and disappear, but he knew it wasn't possible. Instead, he glared daggers at the blond and sneered, "Get out! If you want me to act in your stupid play, get out!"

"MOMMY! Why is he looking at me like that?"

Appearing behind his best friend, Kyoya pushed up his glasses and smirked, "I believe it's because you and the others coerced him into being the Grinch." He knew the cause and reason were so much more though.

"But…But…"

"You don't deserve her," Chika shook his head in disgust.

"What? Who?" Tamaki was more than a little confused.

"You are a wimp who probably can't even wipe his own butt."

"What? I don't know what or who you're talking about, however, your language is vulgar and unbecoming a gentleman!"

"Maybe I don't want to be a gentleman!"

Stumbling back, Tamaki felt as if the younger man had stabbed him in the gut, "Not want…not want to be a gentleman?"

"Tamaki, need I remind you that not everyone carries the same ideals as you do?" Kyoya spoke up. To him, this just got more interesting because regardless of what Chika claimed, he would never be overly rude or misbehave in front of the wrong people. It was who they were bred and raised to be.

"How did a whimpering idiot like you win her over?" Chika just couldn't understand how something like that happened.

Still confused, Tamaki cried out, "Who?"

"What's going on?" Hunny entered the room with Mori close behind him. He had been trying to stay away from his brother knowing that if they were confined to a small space together, they would end up fighting…even if they were attempting a truce for this night only. Seeing his brother in costume with most of his makeup done, he exclaimed, "Chika-Chan! That looks amazing! Doesn't it Takashi?"

"It does," Mori responded, but he could feel the tension in the room and was on his guard in case he needed to stop something before it got out of hand.

Another push on his glasses and Kyoya stated, "Kaoru, I believe Haruhi is in need of your assistance for her makeup. Hikaru can finish up with Yasuchika."

On one hand, Kaoru really didn't want to leave his brother alone in that situation, and on the other, he really wanted out of that room. Grabbing the bag he had prepared for Haruhi ahead of time, he raced out of there and silently wished his brother and the others good luck.

As if he just picked up on the animosity flowing out of his brother, Hunny asked, "Is something wrong?"

"It would seem that your brother is accusing the boss of something and hates being here," Hikaru sarcastically answered, his tone clipped and full of irritation.

"But it's Christmas time and we should all get along and be nice to each other!" Declared the shortest host.

Chika's deadly eyes moved from Tamaki to his brother, "Shut up, Mitsukuni! You don't even know what the hell you're talking about right now!"

"Are you jealous of the boss?" Hikaru's arms crossed over his chest and he looked smug…too smug, as if all of the pieces of a puzzle fell into place right before his eyes.

"Why would Chika-Chan be jealous?" Hunny inquired, although if truth be told, he already knew and had decided to play dumb.

When Chika didn't say anything, Hikaru snapped and barked with laughter, "That has to be it! You were asking about the boss and Haruhi the other day. You're jealous of them!"

Jealous? Him? Yes, it was true, Chika was extremely jealous of the blond idiot. Throwing his elbow to the side, he found Hikaru's gut, "Shut up!"

Trying to breathe after that hit was like trying to breathe normally after finishing a marathon – not exactly easy. And yet, he still managed a retort, "Acting like your five just proves my point."

Before another punch could be thrown, this time one that was surly going to do more damage, Mori was at his cousin's side and grabbed both arms pinning them to Chika's sides. "Hikaru, Yasuchika, enough."

"I agree with Mori-senpai. We have a play to get on and the last thing we want is to make our guests wait any longer than necessary," Kyoya clapped his hands and got everyone moving again…everyone except his best friend, "What is it, Tamaki?"

"Who is he talking about, mommy?"

"We can discuss it after the play. Or would you prefer to talk now and keep all of the princesses waiting?"

"NO! We can't do that!"

"I didn't think so." After Tamaki left, Kyoya turned to Chika and said, "Haruhi doesn't like bullying and she certainly doesn't like it when someone talks badly about others. You may want to gather all of the facts before you come to any false assumptions." With a smirk, he disappeared and the only people in the room were Hikaru, Satoshi, Hunny, and Mori.

Once the situation was diffused, Mori turned to his brother and best friend, "Go and finish getting ready." He wasn't quite ready to leave Hikaru alone with Chika and allowing Satoshi to watch him might lead to the same results as allowing Hunny to remain in the room.

"Oh man…" Hikaru began and receiving a glare of Mori, he coughed nervously and quickly swallowed any other words he may or may not have wanted to say.

Chika decided everything about his situation was the worst and he hated Christmas balls, Christmas plays, and Christmas in general.

In a different music room from where the men were getting ready, Haruhi sat impatiently in a chair, waiting for Kaoru to finish her makeup. She was still irritated from her earlier interaction with Chika and still had a few things she wanted to say to him. It wasn't like her. Normally, once she spoke her mind that was the end of it. She could let it go, but not this time. This time, she wanted to teach that Grinch a thing or two herself!

"Will you hold still? You're just as bad as Yasuchika," Kaoru grumbled.

"That guy is such a jerk!" She snapped.

"Well, he won't be winning any congeniality awards any time soon, that's for sure."

That caught her attention, "What did he do?"

"Nothing much. I think he's close to losing it. I mean we did force this on him and everything."

"If he really didn't want to do it, he could have hopped on a plane and hidden in another country. All of you rich bastards have passports, and you can't tell me you don't!"

"We do, but…"

"No buts! If he really hated it that much, there were ways out of it and he knows it!"

Kaoru was silent for a moment before he told her, "Maybe he stayed for a reason."

"Oh, and why is that? To make everyone else miserable?"

"You know, he asked about you and the boss."

"Me and Tamaki? Why?"

"Not sure, but I get the impression he might be jealous."

"Of what?"

"You and the boss." Hadn't he just said that?

"There is no…"

He interrupted, "Does he know that?"

"Who cares? He is just an asshole and acts like a child!" And yet, in her heart, she wondered if maybe he was jealous of what he assumed was between her and Tamaki.

"Maybe he just needs someone to make his heart grow or melt the ice…whichever one it is for this play."

"Grow," she whispered, and then her eyes narrowed, "Why are you sticking up for him?"

"Call it a Christmas miracle or the spirit of the season," he chuckled. A few more sweeps of his brushes and then he turned her towards the mirror, "And now Cindy Lou is ready to meet and conquer the Grinch."


	3. Script Changes

**A/N: I hope everyone is having a great week. As I was working on this chapter, I realized I needed at least one more to do everything I wanted and to make sure I wrap everything up. So look for the final chapter probably tomorrow or on Christmas Eve. Enjoy!**

Chapter 3 – Script Changes

As much as Hikaru and Kaoru liked to goof off, pull pranks, and were unable to be serious most of the time, they could work magic with costumes, wigs, and makeup. The reflection staring back at Haruhi showed a completely transformation from Ouran High School second year to a Who straight out of Who-Ville, "Wow."

"I know. I know. We're brilliant, but now is not the time to praise us," Kaoru grinned looking proud and a bit full of himself – correction…very full of himself.

His cockiness and his words from just moments ago made her smile. Maybe she could be the one to help make the Grinch's heart grow, and if she couldn't…well, she wasn't quite done with him yet, but a knock on the top of the head, much like she had done with the twins in her first year, would be saved as a last resort. And of course there was a huge difference between the two scenarios: the twins were acting and Chika isn't.

"Are you ready?" He asked seeing the reflective expression on appear on her face.

"As ready as I'll ever be. As many times as Tamaki-senpai has made us do stuff like this, I should be used to it, but it's still nerve wracking at times."

"And imagine what it's like for Hikaru and I. We were forced to be actors in the play and stagehands. Our fingers are worked to the bone, we go without sleep and food, and for what? Just to make sure we make our customers happy."

"Tone it down on the drama, would you? You're kind of sounding like Tamaki-senpai."

"What about me?" Tamaki's head had popped through the slightly ajar door.

"Boss, are you trying to peek on Haruhi getting ready? I think you really are a perv!" Kaoru's mock gasp had Haruhi rolling her eyes, something he did not miss seeing out of the corner of his eye.

"What?! I would never do that to my daughter! Haruhi, you have to believe me! Daddy was only checking on you and letting you know that we are ready to begin!" Tamaki cried out and rushed into the room, scooping her up in his arms for a tight, bone crushing hug.

Haruhi tried to push herself backwards in his arms in order to have some breathing room and told him, "I get it! Will you let me go now? Come on senpai! We have to put on the play!"

Setting her down awkwardly, Tamaki slumped over, a dark and melancholy aura engulfing him, "I think Yasuchika hates me. The Grinch hates me."

"I **hate** to tell you this, but he has never really liked you because of what happened with Hunny-senpai," Kaoru guffawed stressing the word "hate" and watched as his leader appeared more depressed and distressed.

"But shouldn't he be nicer to me?"

"Why?" Haruhi and Kaoru asked together.

"EEK!" Tamaki seemed to have snapped out of his depression and he grabbed Haruhi by her shoulders and started to shake her, "Don't do it! I will save you from the doppelgangers. You've just been around them too much!"

"Will you quit that?!" Haruhi tried to escape, but like the million times before, it was a lost cause. Out in the hall through the open door, she could easily make out the sing song voice of Hunny and called out, "Mori-senpai! Help!" Sometimes a girl had to do what a girl had to do, and in this case, she had to call in for reinforcements. Knowing Kyoya wouldn't help her, the twins would just compound the problem, and Tamaki wouldn't listen to Hunny…Mori was her best option. Part of her had wanted to call Chika, but she still felt peeved at him.

Mori heard Haruhi call for his assistance and ran into her room with Hunny right behind him. Pulling her free, he set her behind him for the…he had lost count how many times this had happened.

"Mori-senpai, I was just trying to rescue her from this evil twin!" Tamaki yelled.

"We have a play and guests," the taller man reminded his former club president.

"Before you say anything, Mori-senpai is correct," Kyoya entered the room with a smirk on his face. He knew Satoshi, Chika, and Hikaru were directly behind him and thus he predicted that this would just add fuel to the fires of jealousy burning within Chika.

Tamaki spun around quickly and almost lost his balance during his pirouette, "But mommy!"

"Are you stating that you would rather stay in this room with Haruhi than to take care of our guests?" The Shadow King purposely worded his sentence in order to push the younger man even further.

"No, but I…I just…he was…"

Chika's patience was wearing thin and he felt like he was going to blow at any minute – again. One of his eyes started to tick, his belly and chest burned with a fire he wanted to unleash on Tamaki and the other hosts…unleash on everyone except Haruhi, and her, he wanted to steal her away from the blond idiot. A growl started deep in his chest and rumbled upward until it came out of his mouth. He sounded more primal than man, but he didn't care. Running into the room, he grabbed Haruhi's arm and jerked her towards him before he started to drag her out of the room.

His plan would have probably been something like escaping the others, forgoing the rest of the ball, and hiding out somewhere no one else could find them, but he had made some erroneous turns and had ended up stage right. Across the stage, he could see the other hosts waiting on him. Maybe he could burn the stage down and try to run away again. Of course all attempts at escaping were hindered by Mori appearing directly behind them.

It took Haruhi a couple of seconds before she came to her senses and realized Chika was dragging her around the school giving no concern to her arm, her wants, or her needs. In her attempt to get him to release her, she tried prying his fingers away from her wrist (they didn't budge a centimeter), she tried to dig in her heels (she almost feel and he didn't stop), she tried to slap and punch the arm and hand that held her captive (he did not even flinch), and she tried to pinch him (no reaction). Nothing worked on him as he mindlessly dragged her down one hallway to another and another.

It wasn't until he stopped stage right that she felt some semblance of relief, and when Mori arrived, she knew she would be saved. Her chest slightly ached from the thought of a rescue now. With Tamaki, it was the standard operating procedure and she never thought twice about someone helping her from the bear trap of Tamaki's arms; but with Chika, her relief was short-lived and dreary.

"I just don't know why you chose him out of everyone else on the planet," Chika mumbled under his breath.

"Does it matter?" She asked a little breathless from the running and his comment. Maybe Kaoru was right?

"It's your choice," he snapped.

"Yasuchika, you're on," Mori pushed his cousin onto the stage.

"I haven't chosen," Haruhi replied softly.

Chika's head whipped around and he stared at her, but he couldn't do anything else because he was on. Had he heard her correctly? He actually couldn't be sure that he had.

The play progressed with Tamaki was the narrator and the others playing the parts of the Whos, except Kyoya who managed to be the director, lighting expert, and producer, ergo, he didn't need to be on stage. Everything was going well. They had the audience eating out of the palm of their hands, and when the end came…a little twist had been adapted without Haruhi or Chika knowing it was coming.

"And when the Grinch slid off of the tall pile of gifts he had stolen, he caught Cindy Lou Who in his arms and kissed her," Tamaki read from his script. No one seemed bothered that it didn't rhyme the way it should have given that it was Dr. Seuss.

Chika knew that he was supposed to catch Haruhi, but what was this about a kiss?

"Ahem…he caught Cindy Lou Who in his arms and kissed her," Tamaki announced again.

Frowning at the blond, Haruhi whispered, "What the hell is that, Tamaki-senpai?"

The crowd started to talk quietly wondering why there seemed to be an awkward atmosphere in the air. It seemed the play was at a standstill, but they couldn't figure out why that would be. This was the Host Club after all, so it stands to reason that they would change the story slightly. Maybe Haruhi didn't like Chika and therefore didn't want to kiss him? Maybe she was afraid of making someone jealous since she was still a host and did have a few male customers, but surely they had discussed all of this and practiced. And as soon as the girls' imaginations made the leap from Haruhi kissing Chika to Haruhi kissing any of the hosts to replacing Haruhi with themselves and them kissing their favorite host…the flames of MOE were stoked and rose high into the air blocking out the stars and moon that shone through the skylight.

Chika had never seen anything like that before in his life, and he wasn't sure he ever wanted to again. Weren't those pink flames dangerous? He wasn't exactly sure what was going on, and as he scanned the others on stage, he found varying degrees of disbelief and jealousy, but when Tamaki read the instructions a third time, he leaned down to do as he was told; however, his lips did not land on hers, they touched her cheek.

"Not there…ahem," Tamaki started, but when he caught the glare from Haruhi, he continued with the rest of the script.

The curtain fell and lifted, final bows were given, and the curtain fell for a final time. When it did, Haruhi rounded on Tamaki, "What the hell was that Tamaki-senpai?"

"Yeah, boss! That was not the original script. How could you want…him to kiss her?" Hikaru demanded, the word him sounding more like a foul curse when he said it. "Aren't you in love with her?"

"Of course I love her! She's my daughter!"

"That's not what I meant!" The older twin deadpanned. He was doing his best to keep a lid on his temper.

The blond head tilted to its side, "What did you mean?"

"Are you really that much of an idiot? Who changed the script? It was Kyoya-senpai, wasn't it?!"

The Shadow King in question suddenly appeared behind his accuser, "While I had a hand in the final script and its subsequent approval, it was Tamaki's idea. Everything about tonight was his idea."

"No way!" Both twins shouted together, their mouths gaping open as their shocked faces moved from staring at Tamaki to staring at Kyoya.

"Is this why Tono said Yasuchika should be nicer to him?" Kaoru asked confusedly.

"I am giving him my daughter," Tamaki pouted, "He should treat me like…"

Kaoru snickered, "A king?"

Hikaru finally snapped out of it and tried to come up with a plausible explanation, "You mean that you planted the idea in his head and he believed it was his idea. Right?"

"No, he approached me about his thoughts."

Grabbing Tamaki by his coat lapels, Hikaru snarled, "Why did you let that happen? Do you want your daughter, your darling little girl, to date Yasuchika? What if they fall in love and get married?"

"Then I will get grandchildren?" Tamaki's answer seemed more like a question.

"Wait! I'm confused!" Haruhi interrupted the argument.

"It is really quite simple if you were following along," Kyoya gave her a pointed look before continuing, "Tamaki seemed to have noticed that there was a…shall we say spark…between you two. He decided to see if he was right because even though you callously turned him down at the beginning of the school year, he wanted you to find true love and be happy."

Again, both twins were shocked, "She turned the boss down?"

"She did. It was immediately following the opening ceremony. He purposely had Yasuchika recruited for the play and forced him to be the Grinch while you were Cindy Lou. Did it not occur to anyone that Tamaki did not vie for the role of the Grinch or that the costume was made smaller than it should have been? We received Yasuchika's measurements from his tailor and had the costume made with those specifications, which is also the reason the twins did not actually make the costume, they just sewed it together." Kyoya's gaze swept the small group on stage, "Did you really believe that Tamaki would have done anything, such as sending out the invitations, without my consent or knowledge."

"It's happened before," Haruhi grumbled.

"Ordering things, yes, but not when it has to do with our guest list."

"What makes you think I want to have anything to do with Chika…I mean Yasuchika?"

"You do," Kaoru shook his head, a small smile on his face. He winked and told her, "Spirit of Christmas, remember?"

Hikaru stared at disbelief at his brother, "Kaoru?" He turned to look at the Grinch and Cindy Lou and proclaimed, "No! You can't be serious!" He ran up to her and pulled Haruhi in his arms and announced, "I love you too!"

Chika was still trying to wrap his head around the fact that Tamaki of all people had set him up, but when Hikaru tried to steal her, he growled, "Not this time."

"Oh really? What are you going to do about it? It's obvious that you don't care about her at all. The way you treat her and such….we all saw how she stomped on your foot on the dance floor. She doesn't like you either."

"You really think you could beat me?"

"Maybe not when it comes to brute force, but when it comes to almost anything else, I know I can."

"I don't think so," Chika grabbed her arm and pulled her toward him. She landed against him with an oomph, and then he dipped her backwards and claimed her lips in a real kiss – the first for both of them. It was sloppy and they clashed teeth more than once, but it was full of passion.

Pushing him away because she couldn't breathe, Haruhi panted, "If I'm just an object, I don't want either one of you." She stormed off towards her dressing room and locked the door behind her. She really didn't feel like seeing either one of them right now, and after the display on stage, it seemed as if her Christmas wish was not going to come true, "Why did he have to do that? I just wanted him to find a reason to be happy this season, to open up…to me." Gathering up her things, she left the ball unwilling to see any of her friends in her current state of mind.

After she had left them, Hikaru turned on Tamaki, "How could you, boss?"

"It's her Christmas wish and I want her to be happy," Tamaki answered softly.

"Her wish?" Everyone except Mori and Kyoya exclaimed.

"What do you mean, Tama-Chan?" Hunny asked when it seemed no one else would.

"Her father, I mean her real father, took her to see Santa Claus and I was at the commoner's mall too. She didn't know I was there, but when I saw her, I followed her. She didn't want to see him, but Ranka persuaded her and she told Santa, 'I just want my friend, Yasuchika to be happy, to find a reason to be happy, and I want to be closer to him.' I knew that I wanted to make her dream come true. And then when Yasuchika started asking questions about my relationship with Haruhi, I knew that he wanted the same things…or at least I thought he did."

Hearing about her Christmas wish, no one could blame Tamaki for what he had done, however, some of them still couldn't believe that he had been the one to come up with the plan to bring the two mismatched teens together.

Kyoya pushed his glasses up the bridge of his nose and said, "He came up with the change in the script last night and we implemented it today without anyone else knowing."

"What are you going to do, Chika-Chan?" Hunny pressed his younger brother to take action.

"I've…I've got to go," his voice was soft and hard to hear above the murmuring of the crowd on the other side of the curtain.

Not even Hikaru could argue against a Christmas wish, but it didn't stop him from saying, "Maybe she's the one that deserves better."

"Yasuchika, you are dismissed. Everyone else, we have guests to attend to, and that includes you Hikaru," Kyoya ordered.

"I wasn't trying…," the elder twin began, but he was picked up and carried away by Mori.

Satoshi stepped up to his cousin and best friend, "What are you going to do?"

"I don't know, but I guess I have to do something."

"Good luck, and maybe if you stop acting like a Grinch long enough, you can figure out what it is that will make her happy…make her wish come true."

As the other hosts started to disappear one by one, Tamaki lagged behind and told him, "If you hurt her, I will never forgive you. She's special." With that, he left the young Haninozuka and rejoined his guests.

Chika ran up to Music Room 3. He still wasn't sure what to do, but as he took off his green makeup and peeled himself out of the costume, he had a few ideas to make right the wrong he had committed. Was this warm fuzziness what the Grinch felt when his heart grew three sizes in the story?


	4. He Gave Her the World

**A/N: Here we come to the end of another story. I hope everyone reading has a wonderful and blessed holiday season and Christmas no matter what you celebrate. Stay safe out there. For this chapter, I was re-watching While You Were Sleeping with Sandra Bullock – if you haven't seen it and you like romantic comedies, I highly recommend it – and it gave me an idea for this chapter. Was anyone surprised that Tamaki was the one actually playing matchmaker? Enjoy!**

Chapter 4 – He Gave Her the World

It had taken two days for Chika to track down exactly what he wanted…no, it was what he needed to convince Haruhi he wanted to bring her Christmas wish to life. Even as he carefully wrapped each piece of his apology, shame twisted his gut. He had acted like a complete and utter ass, and for what? Jealousy? Pissed off because of his lot in life? Regardless of the reason, he shouldn't have taken it out on her. The others, well he couldn't exactly say he was sorry for his attitude towards them, and that may have been wrong, but he didn't worry about their feelings like he did Haruhi. Tamaki was right, she was special.

Now came the hard part. He had tried to call her earlier and she hung up on him as soon as she heard his voice. Chika concluded that she was still a little upset about what happened at the ball. There were one of two things he could do, he could go to her house, which would require asking his brother, Mori, or Kyoya for her address. He really didn't want to have to do that; however, the alternative was to invite her over to his house, and since she wasn't taking his calls, it would require asking his brother to help him apologize to the girl. That option left a bad taste in his mouth as well. He was stuck and it basically came down to, which one would get him the quickest results while keeping the majority of his pride intact.

In the end, he didn't have to do anything. His brother and Mori took care of it all.

He had been attempting to call Haruhi again, but alas, she once again hung up on him. How was he supposed to apologize if she wouldn't even talk to him? Before he gave into the urge to throw his phone, he slammed it down onto his dresser. What did she want from him? The mixed signals were sending his head awhirl. Her wish was for him to be happy and for them to become happy, but if that was the case, ignoring him wouldn't bring that wish to fruition.

He could feel himself losing control of his temper and took a deep breath in order to calm himself down. And when there was a knock at the door, he ripped it open with such force, the door handle hit the wall and created a small hole. Seeing his brother on the other side, just added to his ire, "What the hell do you want, Mitsukuni?"

Grinning from ear to ear, Hunny felt like he was about to open presents on Christmas morning, and he couldn't wait to see his brother's reaction, "I need you to come with me."

"And why would I do that?" Chika wanted to hit his brother, wanted to beat him to a bloody pulp, but he held back. Maybe it was the twinkle in Hunny's eye or the almost knowing expression on his face. Chika wasn't sure, but something stopped him from attacking as he normally would.

"I'm meeting Takashi in the park."

"Again, why the hell would that concern me? He's your keeper, not mine."

"Chika-Chan, it was that attitude that got you in trouble with Haru-Chan," Hunny reminded him. While it was normal for his little brother to talk to him in such a manner, he decided to take advantage of the situation…but only a little.

It felt like he had been slapped in the face and doused with cold water. Narrowing his eyes, he growled, "Why should I go to the park with you? I have things…"

Interrupting him, the older teen giggled, "Haru-Chan is coming too." Hunny had seen how hard the past couple of days were for Chika, and he also knew from Haruhi that she had been ignoring him in an attempt to figure a few things out on her own; however, it was Christmas Eve and it was time for the Grinch and his princess to get a Merry Christmas. Even if they had to be forced together.

"She is?" If his brother was playing a trick on him, Chika would show no mercy. And if he had to win by attacking him while he was sleeping, then so be it.

"Yep. Takashi and I invited her out for dinner and then we were going to go look at Christmas lights when it got dark. We're meeting in the park first though because there is an ice sculpting contest and Takashi and I are entered. We're doing Usa-Chan playing Santa!"

That damn bunny again. Taking in another deep breath, he finally consented, "Fine, I'll come."

"Great! We're leaving now!" Hunny grabbed his brother and rushed him towards the door.

"Wait! Stop! I have to get something first!" Chika yelled pulling his arm away from his brother. The problem was, the other man's grip did not loosen. As they passed by a door, he grabbed the doorjamb and held tight.

Hunny felt his brother struggling, but decided to ignore it until he jerked backwards and when he looked Chika was hugging a doorway and it looked like he was trying to get to third base with it, "Chika-Chan?"

"I need to get something from my room first."

"Hurry!"

"I would have already had it if you hadn't pulled me away!"

"Stop arguing and get it! I don't want to be late!"

His hands tightened into fists, but he resisted yet again. Running back to his room, he grabbed the gift back that held his future and his heart. If she turned him down…No, he wouldn't think like that. He had to believe that he could make her Christmas wish come true and in doing so, fulfill his own wish. This bag held everything: hopes, dreams, and wishes.

The ride to the park seemed to take a lifetime, but at the same time, it felt like it took no time at all. Such a contradictory way of thinking, but Chika didn't care. He was nervous and happy, scared and excited, anxious and hesitant. Everything about his mentality was a contradiction and the car ride was just a small pebble in the large pond of contradictions, thoughts, and feelings.

"Where is she?" Chika scouted the area, trying to catch a glimpse of his tall cousin since he figured Mori would be easier to spot than Haruhi in the small crowd that had gathered, but he didn't see either one of them.

"Takashi said that there was a car accident and they will be here soon," Hunny informed him, and then asked, "Chika-Chan, what do you want with Haru-Chan?"

"That isn't any of your business!" Chika snapped.

"It is because she's my friend."

The younger man stopped scanning the crowd momentarily and glanced at his brother, "I just want…I just want to apologize."

"Well if that's all then you didn't have to come," Haruhi stated from behind the younger Haninozuka.

His eyes grew and he spun around, "Haruhi."

"Haruhi, listen to him," Mori told her.

Hunny added, "Yeah, Haru-Chan, give him a chance. He came here just to see you."

She wasn't sure why, correction, she knew why, but it was hard to admit. She liked him, and because she had feelings for him that surpassed any she felt for the other hosts, it hurt when she thought that he might only see her as an object, something to irritate the others with. Like that whole scene with Hikaru. Hikaru confessed and Chika reacted. And that hurt. When she had first sat upon Santa's knee, she hadn't known what to say or what to wish for, but then she noticed two brothers fighting in line and her thoughts immediately turned to Chika, and before she knew it, she was confessing her deepest wish. At the time she hadn't completely come to terms with her feelings, and to be honest, she hadn't actually realized she had any; however, after her wish had been spoken aloud, an inkling started to form in her conscious mind and it grew from there. Coming to terms with her feelings and what happened at the ball, she had wanted to avoid him and no longer could. She should have known Hunny and Mori were up to something when they invited her to watch them participate in an ice sculpting competition.

Her friends were right. She needed to give him a chance, "Sorry. I know you have tried to call me, but I've been…unavailable."

He didn't believe that for a moment, however, he was not going to press his luck by calling her a liar. Instead he said, "I have something for you and was wondering if we could talk for a couple of minutes."

"You two go talk. Takashi and I have to go and get ready!" Hunny exclaimed and started pulling his cousin towards the competition area.

Finding an empty park bench just a few feet from them, Chika motioned for Haruhi to join him there and once they were seated, he told her, "I wasn't very nice to you during the ball…or before."

"No, you weren't," inwardly she cringed at her sharp retort.

Chika's throat felt tight and he was finding it difficult to breathe or speak, but he continued, "I…ahem…I have something for you." His voice cracked and he prayed she hadn't noticed.

She noticed and decided it was best not to comment on it. "What did you want to give me?" Her curiosity was piqued and she truly wanted to know what his plan for her entailed.

Passing her the bag, he spoke softly, "The way I've been acting…it was wrong and I apologize. I shouldn't have stolen that kiss from you and I shouldn't have treated you like you were beneath me. I never intended to hurt you. It just felt like everything was crashing down on me. If anything, I should have treated you like you were…special."

"Why?" She accepted the gift, but did not open it.

His eyes had been on the ground and then moved up to lock with hers, "Because you are. I was jealous of Tamaki because I thought you two were dating."

"We're not. I don't think of him as anything more than a friend. An odd overzealous friend with a daddy complex, but only a friend."

"I know that now."

"If you had a problem with it, you should have asked."

He wanted to snap because the anxiety was building. The more she pointed out the obvious, the more he wanted to lash out. No one liked to be told what they did wrong, and he was no exception, "I know!" He exhaled and in a calmer voice said, "I know. I tried asking everyone else, but no one would give me a straight answer."

Her gaze moved across his face taking in every detail, and when she was done, she asked, "Why were you so jealous?" She shouldn't press the matter, she knew she shouldn't, and yet, she couldn't help herself.

Instead of giving her a direct answer, he told her, "There are three gifts in there and they are actually numbered. Start with number one."

She fought down the urge to demand a straight answer out of him and dug inside the bag. The first gift she pulled out was labeled number two, so she returned it and dig a little more until she found the present with a number one on it. It was kind of squishy and the paper crinkled as she attempted to carefully open it, however, she wound up actually ripping it open because he had used gobs of tape on it. Pulling the paper away from the object, Haruhi was left with a stuffed yellow chick in her palm. It was soft and furry, and when she shook it, it chirped.

"When I was younger, before I tried to fight my brother all of the time, I liked baby chicks. I still do, but not too many people know that. I think only my brother, Takashi, and Satoshi know it. This was always one of my favorites because it was so fluffy and it sounded like a baby chick," he explained.

Her breath caught and a smile pulled her lips upwards, "Thank you."

"Now you can open the second one."

Reaching into the bag, she pulled out the present she had originally extracted. It was a box shaped and heavy. This time, she didn't waste time or effort trying to peel away the wrapping carefully because again, Chika had gone a little crazy with the tape. Once the red glossy paper had been removed, she found a plain white box. Shifting the bag to the bench beside her, she carefully opened the box and noticed something clear and dome like. She gripped the cool glass and pull it out. It was a snow globe. Flecks of white and silver floated around in the water falling onto the world. Inside was replica of the world and on top of that, stood a boy and girl that. They both had brown hair and brown eyes and reminded her of her and Chika, "It's beautiful." Tears burned her eyes and one slid down her face splashing upon the rounded glass.

"It plays Sakura Kiss if you turn it over and wind it up."

Her fingers found the small key and turned it. Soon what sounded like a music box rendition of Sakura Kiss surrounded them. "I love it."

They sat there quietly until the music died and then he whispered, "There is still a third gift."

What else could he give her? He had given her the world and a piece of his past. Gently returning the snow globe to the box and setting it inside the bag, she grabbed the third and final gift. It was a little flexible, but it was also a little heavy and hard at the same time. Ripping the paper off, she found a brown leather bound book. Her questioning eyes met his.

Taking the book from her, he untied the leather strap that held it closed and gently brushed the soft material, his eyes glued to the cover. He told her, "This is a journal. It starts out from the beginning of my third year in middle school and goes through yesterday. In it you will find my thoughts on my brother, my family, Satoshi…and you." When he divulged the last part, he looked at her to gauge her reaction. He could see her shock and disbelief, but he also saw relief and happiness. Another contradiction.

"I don't know what to say."

"I just wanted you to know me a little more and know that…I like you. Being around you makes me feel less irritated and happy. I know that I didn't show it much…"

She leaned forward and kissed him, silencing any other words he might have wanted to say. When she pulled back, she whispered, "I like you too." Her face felt like it was on fire and bright red. It could probably give that McDonald's clown's hair a run for his money.

Their moment was interrupted when Hunny came running up to them, "Chika-Chan, Haru-Chan, we're about to start!" As he approached, he noticed that Haruhi's eyes glistened with added moisture and her cheeks were flushed red. "What happened?" If he needed to, he would fight his brother here and now and teach him a lesson.

Smiling, she answered, "He gave me the world and more."

Hunny's eyes drifted to his brother and he could see the blush forming on Chika's face as well. "Good! If you want to go, we'll understand, but we're about to start."

"No, we'll come and watch," she assured her friend. Carefully, she replaced all of her new treasures into the bag and stood up with Chika, capturing his hand in hers. And in the future if anyone asked her, she would always say that this was her favorite Christmas because she defeated a Grinch, got a prince, and was gifted with the world.

 ** _A/N2: If you didn't know, Sakura Kiss is the opening theme song to Ouran High School Host Club. What do you think, do we need an epilogue?_**


	5. Epilogue

**A/N: Here is the epilogue. I hope you like it. Merry Christmas everyone! Meepingangel, Hikaru won't win the girl this time, but I promise to do another story for him next year.**

Epilogue – Five Years Later

"Why do I have to dress up? I'm just going over to Chika's house to exchange presents and have dinner. I'm not going to a cocktail party," Haruhi grumbled as Hikaru and Kaoru shoved her into a dress Hikaru had personally designed for her. Hanging just off her shoulders, it was long sleeved, red, went to her knees, and flared ever so slightly from the waist down. All in all, it was the perfect dress if she were actually doing something fancy tonight, but she wasn't. She was only going to go over to her boyfriend's house to hang out for the holiday…the same thing they had been doing since they started going out five years prior.

"Just trust us," the twins answered together.

Hikaru looked into the mirror and saw her stick her tongue out at them and he snickered, "Would we steer you wrong?" In high school, he had loved her once, but when he had confessed and Chika had reacted, he knew he had lost the girl and for some reason, he was actually all right with that because he could see how much Chika loved her. Knowing Haruhi felt the same, seeing it in her eyes, it was fairly easy to let her go. He could even understand why Tamaki had decided to play match maker.

"Yes, you would," she huffed honestly.

"Don't you think it would be nice to dress up for your five year anniversary?" Kaoru asked.

"Fine, but don't you think this is a bit too fancy?"

"Not at all!" They exclaimed. They knew something she didn't. Chika planned on proposing to her tonight and instead of meeting at his house, the twins had been tasked with dressing her and getting her to the park on time. The same park he had given her those special gifts on that special Christmas Eve.

Kaoru finished her makeup and Hikaru finished dressing her and doing her hair, and then they took a step back and said, "Perfect."

Looking at herself in the mirror, she could finally see the final picture and she had to agree, everything was perfect. Her hair held a slight wave from Hikaru curling it, and the slight sparkle of jewels could be seen from the headband he used to decorate her hair. With the dress and makeup, she looked as if she could be walking down a runway or out of a magazine. She could never mimic their results – and she had tried a time or two - but that was all right. If there was anything important she needed to attend, she knew she could call on her best friends to help her get ready…and sometimes even when she didn't think she needed them, like tonight, they were still there for her. "Thanks guys!" She smiled and spun around to give them both a hug.

"It's time to get you to Yasuchika," Hikaru gave her a small kiss on the cheek.

"That's right! You wouldn't want to be late," Kaoru nodded and kissed her other cheek.

"Time to knock his socks off!" They chortled together. Throwing a white wool coat over her shoulders, they pushed her out the door and into the waiting car. Oh how they couldn't wait to see Chika's reaction upon seeing Haruhi, and it was too bad they couldn't stick around to watch the proposal, but they had already been warned against doing anything like that…and they were slightly afraid of Yasuchika Haninozuka. Unable to sit still, they both bounced in their seats and kept looking out the window.

The way her friends were acting, it was almost as if they knew something, they were up to something, or they were waiting for something to happen. "Okay, what's going on? You two are acting as if you're the one dating and meeting up with Chika."

"Ewwww, don't insult us!" Hikaru and Kaoru gasped.

"Then why are you acting like kids who are opening a present from Santa and you already know what it is?"

"We just want to see Yasuchika's face when he sees you," Hikaru's defense sounded more like an excuse than an explanation.

She didn't quite believe that was all of it, but she also knew them and knew she would not get any answers. Kyoya could have, Hunny probably could have as well, but not her. "I see." Glancing out the window, she furrowed her brow, "We're going the wrong way."

"No, we aren't!" Kaoru chuckled.

"Nope, not at all," Hikaru guffawed.

"Yasuchika told us to take you to the park!" They announced.

Rolling her eyes, she nodded, "You know something."

They gasped and insisted, "We only know we're supposed to take you to the park."

She didn't believe them, but again, she decided against arguing. "Why the park?"

"Is that where he first confessed?" Kaoru blinked and tilted his head in question.

"Well, yeah, but we haven't actually come to the park on Christmas Eve since that night. Other times, but not for Christmas."

"Isn't it about time you did then?" Hikaru asked with a knowing smile.

"I guess…" She really wished she could know what they did. Not everything, just what they knew about tonight. An idea popped into her head and she almost blurted it out, however, she managed to keep it to herself. Was Chika going to propose? Were they there? Sure they had been together for five year, but were they ready for that? They were both in college and so busy with their studies, but she also couldn't see herself spending her life with anyone except Chika. Maybe they were.

The car rolled to a stop in front of the park entrance and waiting for her in a black suit with a red tie that matched her dress perfectly, stood Chika. To her, he had never looked more handsome. She had always loved seeing him in a suit or tux, but tonight's ensemble looked exceptional and made her heart race.

Before she could open the door, Hikaru and Kaoru stopped her saying, "Wait! We'll present you!" They got out first and then Hikaru reached in and helped her out, but neither his eyes nor Kaoru's were on her. They were both on Chika. The moment Haruhi stepped out of the car, her coat, which had only been hanging on her shoulders, fell off revealing her outfit for the night.

Sucking in his breath, Chika's eyes roved over Haruhi from the tip of her toes to the top of her head. She sparkled like diamonds and her beauty took his breath away.

The grins on Hikaru and Kaoru's faces grew. Replacing Haruhi's coat on her shoulders, they got back into the limo and pulled away; however, they didn't go far. Although they were afraid of Chika, they couldn't resist sticking around. Of course seeing Tamaki's car around the corner helped them to make the decision to stay.

Chika had a feeling the twins hadn't left the area, but at this point, he didn't care. He couldn't seem to find his words. Couldn't move. Couldn't breathe. He could only stare at the vision before him.

The longer she stood there without Chika saying, the more self-conscious Haruhi was starting to get, "Um, the twins…they put me in this dress."

Her comment seemed to snap him out of his daze and he walked up to her. Taking her hands in his, he leaned down and whispered, "You look amazing. Like an angel is standing before me." He sealed his words with a small kiss.

The moment his lips touched hers, she felt better. In fact, she felt like she was floating on a cloud, "Thank you. You look good too." Her cheeks turned pink. They sounded awkward, almost as if they were back in high school and had just started dating.

Offering her his arm, he said, "Shall we?"

"Sure."

They walked around the park for a little while until Chika finally stopped in front of a familiar bench. Helping her to sit, he grabbed her hand and then got down on one knee. He had been planning on waiting a little while, to just enjoy this moment with her, but when they got to their special bench, he didn't want to wait any longer, "I love you more today than I did yesterday, more than last year, and every day I find myself falling all over again, falling harder, falling more in love. You saved me five years ago from a lonely existence and from being a Grinch the rest of my life, and for that, I will always be grateful. I know you are my other half and my destiny. Will you stay with me the rest of my life to make sure I never become the Grinch again?"

Tears flowed from her eyes and she nodded right before throwing herself around him, wrapping her arms around his neck, "YES!" She had wondered if he was going to propose, but this far surpassed her imagination.

The sounds of clapping and whistling drew their attention to the fountain about fifteen feet away where they found the other hosts cheering them on…well, everyone except Kyoya and Mori. The Shadow King and wild host were able to hold onto their composure unlike the others.

Laughing, Haruhi and Chika kissed and when they pulled apart, Haruhi found a solitaire diamond ring on her finger. Five years ago he gave her the world, tonight he gave her forever.


End file.
